Thursday will be the end of an era for the Chicago Blackhawks. The franchise announced via Twitter that Thursday’s game will be Jonathan Toews’ last in a Blackhawks uniform.
“I’ve had a number of conversations with Jonathan throughout the season about his future with the Blackhawks, and recently, we had the difficult conversation that we won’t be resigning him this offseason,” said general manager Kyle Davidson in the statement. “Tonight will be his final game as a Blackhawk, and it was very important to us to provide the proper send-off to Jonathan and our fans.
“He has done so much for our organization, and no matter where he plays next, we’re excited our fans get the chance to show Jonathan exactly how much he means to them.”
The center has spent his entire 15-year career with the Blackhawks. In 1,066 games played, Toews tallied 371 goals and 511 assists. He was a crucial part of Chicago’s Stanley Cup runs, and a spot in the Hockey Hall of Fame seems to be waiting for Toews once he decides to retire.
The 34-year-old had a mediocre season for the struggling Blackhawks, who did not make the playoffs. Toews tallied 14 goals and 16 assists in 52 games, which is the worst points output of his career.
Still, if a team is looking to contend next season, Toews would be a valuable veteran addition who knows what it takes to win a championship and could see an uptick in his scoring if he is able to be on a contending roster.
